Gerrit Cole Injury: Updates on Pirates Star's Elbow and Return
Pittsburgh Pirates ace pitcher Gerrit Cole was placed on the disabled list with elbow inflammation on Aug. 29, but is ready to return
Continue for updates.
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Cole Active vs. Phillies
Monday, Sept. 12
The Pirates announced Cole is on the mound and batting ninth on Monday against Philadelphia.
Hurdle Comments on Cole's Potential Return
Sunday, Sept. 4
Pirates manager Clint Hurdle stated that "Cole is 'penciled in' to return to the Pirates rotation on Sept. 12 in Philadelphia," according to MLB.com's Adam Berry.
Latest on Cole's Rehab
Sunday, Aug. 28
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Stephen J. Nesbitt reported that Cole ran sprints on the field on Sunday morning. Nesbitt noted that Cole will not comment until after his doctor's visit and will head to Los Angeles later on Sunday.
Pirates Need Cole Healthy for Playoff Push
Cole has had a frustrating season, thanks in large part to a strained right triceps in June that led to him missing one month.
He's been solid when healthy, owning a 3.55 ERA, but he's not overpowering hitters like he did last season. His hit (10.0) and walk rates (2.5) are both up, while his strikeout rate (7.5) has dropped by more than one per nine innings from 2015 (8.7), per Baseball-Reference.com.
The Pirates have had all sorts of problems with their starting rotation this season. Francisco Liriano and Jon Niese both struggled before they were traded. Jeff Locke has an ERA over 5.00, Jameson Taillon is still learning to pitch in the big leagues and Tyler Glasnow has spent time on the disabled list.
Pittsburgh's success over the last three seasons has been due in large part to the strength of their rotation. There are a lot of things that have gone wrong for the Pirates in 2016, but the biggest issue has been a lack of consistency from their starting pitchers.
